Ten Years from the End
by airuhkuh
Summary: A replacement epilogue for HP and the Deathly Hallows. May contain spoilers.


**_A/N:_**_ I have to say that I did not really enjoy HP7 as much as I had hoped. It is my least favorite book, for many reasons that I won't go into. One thing that really bothered me was the epilogue, and how you barely learned about anything. You knew of no one's careers or what happened to Teddy or anything! I also thought that naming three kids after Harry's loved ones was a bit too cliche. I disliked it so much that I decided to write an epilogue of my own. I do not know whether you will like it or not, but I wrote it merely for myself and I am satisfied. So, here you are. _

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**Ten Years From Then**

A cool August breeze blew relief for the small town called Godric's Hollow. It rustled the green leaves of the ancient trees, stirred flower petals in the cemetery, and ruffled the messy, jet black hair of a man walking up a lane. The breeze playfully fluttered his robes and lifted the blanket that covered the newborn babe just enough to give a cool caress to the smooth cheeks of the infant.

It seemed as though history was repeating itself as the small family walked up the lane. One could remember, years ago, a nearly identical set, one with vibrant red hair and the other two with jet black hair. They walked towards a house so similar to the old one that only the ashes made one think it was different.

The house was still painted a deep red, standing majestically as the fading light of the sunset hit it. A swing had been put up once more on an old elm tree that gave shade to a budding garden, holding the promise of many afternoons of play and relaxation. The house may have been bigger, the garden a little messier, but as the young family looked at their home, they felt the same feelings the old occupants did: hope and happiness.

Harry looked down at his wife and slid his free arm around her waist. She looked up at him with a smile that still made his breath catch with her hair glimmering in the light. A memory overcame him, of Gryffindor winning the Cup, and his lovely bride running up to him, alight with adrenaline, and him just kissing her with all his might.

"I missed you."

She merely shook her head at him. "We were apart for three hours. It's been more than that when you've had to travel for work." He shrugged and tugged her closer.

"I was thinking about that," he commented, leading them to the path that led to the back of the house. Their house. "Perhaps I should take up Oliver's offer and join Puddlemere. You two could travel with me then."

Ginny replied, "Sounds okay. But don't think I'm giving up my job at The Quibbler."

"Gin, Dementors couldn't tear you away," Harry joked.

"Damn straight."

The family rounded the bend and a party came into view. Endless confetti fell from the skies, disappearing the moment it touched the ground. Half a dozen picnic tables were situated near a Muggle grill, Arthur's favorite toy, on which he was cooking, and burning, several dozen hamburgers. Music twinkled out of the wireless, an oldie by Celestina Warbeck.

"How long til they notice we're here?" Harry whispered to Ginny, who giggled. As it turned out, it was mere moments until Molly looked up and saw them standing there.

"My grand-baby!" she exclaimed, practically leaping over a chair to get to them. Ginny snorted at her mother, who had seven grandchildren already and still acted like each was the first.

"Oh, my, you are precious! Lucked out of the Weasley hair I'm afraid," Molly murmured to the bundle, who was fast asleep. She pried him out of Harry's arms before he could protest and cuddled him to her chest like so many others.

"What's his name?" Teddy shouted out to his adopter parents from the crowd of redheads that surrounded them.

Harry grinned. "James, after my dad. I figured he should have a namesake that didn't have that horrid red hair," he joked, which only received glares.

Ron and Hermione walked, and in Hermione's case waddled, over to them. Hermione gave Ginny an awkward hug due to her large belly ("I'm so jealous, Gin. I want this one out now!") and Ron patted Harry on the back.

"Congrats, mate. I don't know what's worse, Weasley hair or Potter hair. Famous either way of course," Ron said, chuckling.

"It's amazing, Ron. One more month, you'll see," Harry said to his friend's skeptical look.

"Don't remind me," Ron muttered. "That's a whole month of Hermione complaining about backaches and swollen ankles." He scowled and Harry laughed.

Ginny appeared back at Harry's side, having rescued James from the clutches of his grand-mum. "I think I'm going to put him down. He's still asleep."

Harry instinctively reached out to smooth down his son's hair. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course," Ginny said. She carefully handed little James over, and he slept on. "I'm off to get some food." She bounded away, still as vibrant as ever. Ron led Hermione over to a chair with a grimace thrown Harry's way, who felt only a pang of sympathy for his friend. The pregnancy had saved their marriage, which was falling apart simply because Ron was an Auror and Hermione spent long days in the Department of Mysteries and they rarely spent time together. In the past few months their love had rekindled, and so had the bickering.

Harry felt his own stomach grumble, so he headed towards the grill warily, noticing thick, black smoke billowed from the grill. Arthur's face, blackened, poked out of the smoke and he started coughing violently.

"Arthur! Look what you've done!" Molly shrieked. "I told you that the grill was going to cause problems!" Just as she started her tirade, odd purple sparks jumped around the grill, causing the couple to jump back in alarm.

"Arthur, did you tamper with this?" Molly demanded sternly, staring down her husband with her hands on her hips.

"Well, dear, ah, you see..."

Laughing, Harry just shook his head and moved on. Arthur still kept his love for fascination Muggle contraptions, and his job in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office despite being offered a promotion. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that Molly enjoyed it, being kept on her toes with his experiments.

Harry ambled on, absently rubbing circles on his son's back. He stopped by the buffet table to munch when someone grabbed his arm unexpectedly.

"So, mate, lovely child!" George said loudly. "Don't you agree Alicia?"

Harry looked at the engaged couple confusedly. "What's going on, George?"

Alicia replied, looking a little harassed. "Molly is driving us insane. We're using you as a buffer."

Harry laughed. "Wedding talk?"

Alicia and George nodded. "The woman is crazy. I don't see how I'm going to put up with her as a mother-in-law."

"Because you love me?" George answered, giving her a goofy grin. It made everyone in the family relieved to see George smile again. For years he'd been a near zombie, suffering the greatest after his twin's, and best friend's, death. Alicia had brought him, and the business, back to life.

"Or maybe cos I've given birth to your son and am carrying two more?" Alicia told him sarcastically, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"You're pregnant?" Harry exclaimed.

"Two!?" George choked.

Alicia answered Harry, "Yeah, George let it slip when Ginny was in labor that I was pregnant again. Molly's having kittens. Second pregnancy before the marriage--"

"Two!?"

Alicia continued, "It doesn't matter much to me. I won't be showing since the wedding is next month, luckily. But after the twins, I don't want another one. Little Fred is more than a handful already."

Harry smiled. "Well, congratulations Alicia!"

"TWINS?"

"Yes, George!" Alicia finally answered, giving him an exasperated look.

George stood shock still for a moment before letting out a large whoop and tackling Alicia to the ground for a heated snog, with George somehow shouting out the words "I'm having twins!"

A small cry brought Harry back to his son. The noise had startled him. Harry gently bounced him, trying to calm him down.

"'E iz beautiful." Harry looked over to his half-veela sister-in-law and tried to smile despite Jame's wailing.

"Thanks."

"Ere, let me 'elp," Fleur offered, taking his son out of his arms. She gently bounced James and murmured soothing words into his ears. Her expertise with children, gained after having four young ones of her own, showed when he was placidly cuddled up to her mere seconds later.

"Ah, thank you. I don't know how you do it," Harry said, taking his son back, who blinked innocently at him with his baby blue eyes.

Fleur just laughed. "It iz the mother's touch." She opened her mouth to say more, but a cry rang out that sounded suspiciously like little Will, and she hastened off to stop the tantrum.

"Well, I say that's enough excitement for now," Harry said quietly to his son. He weaved through the picnic tables, waving and nodding in thanks to the congratulations from the extended family and friends that had arrived for the celebration.

With a relieved sigh, Harry settled down next to a tree trunk, pulling his knees up to rest James on his thighs. James stared at him for a while and then turned his wobbly head to stare at a bee buzzing past. Harry could only watch him. Just a few days ago he was scared to touch his son, and now he could hardly keep his hands off of him.

His son.

The words still sounded foreign to him, and he couldn't even imagine being called Dad. The thoughts stirred a sadness in his heart, for he didn't have anyone to call Dad. If anything, that made him more determined to be with James and love him.

Technically, James was his second son. He adopted Teddy, who was now ten, but with Teddy born when he was seventeen, he didn't raise him or spend much time with him until he was six. Teddy, though he loved him dearly just as he loved Teddy's parents, felt more like a nephew than his own son.

But James was his own blood. James had his hair, his ears, probably his knobby knees. He had Ginny's freckles, Ginny's nose, and hopefully her dark brown eyes. He was scared to death of having a son of his own, and even more scared to lose him. He had joked that all it took to be a good father was to do the opposite of Vernon, but it wasn't that simple. He had to guide this tiny body to be kind, intelligent, inquisitive, and good. It was a tall order of something so very small.

He pulled James to his chest and reveled in his baby scent. At least he had the whole family of Weasleys to help him. Molly had started offering pregnancy and baby advice since they announced the good news and hadn't stopped since.

"They're a pretty odd bunch, James," Harry murmured. "They're all a little different, but they are united by one thing, and it's not just the red hair. They really love each other, and luckily, they love dashing dark haired men like us too."

"I have to agree with that," Ginny said with a smile as she walked towards them. She snuggled up to Harry, learned on his shoulder and closing her eyes tiredly. Harry kissed his wife's forehead and rested his chin on the top of her head. James blinked heavily, already getting tired, so Harry positioned him securely between the two of them. He sat there while the party continued just a few meters away, perfectly happy to enjoy the company and the feeling of having his family next to him.

Ten years ago, Harry would have never pictured being so happy and content with a beautiful wife and son. Ten years ago his life was plagued with fear and uncertainty, the threat of Voldemort and a painful death greeting him each morning. But that was over. His scar, now faded and barely noticed, hadn't give him so much as a twinge in ten wonderful years. The road that led him toward his future, once foggy and riddled with uncertainty, now lay ahead of him, full of promise.

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**_A/N_**_: As a side note, if any of you were interested about upcoming fics and what happened to my planned Blaise/Hermione story, check out my profile for info. _


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